Lee Byung Hun (Photo from www.newsen.com)
Two women, one a singer, were arrested and charged by the police for trying to blackmail and extort 5 billion won (about P214 million) from Korean actor Lee Byung Hun.
The blackmail reportedly involved a cell phone video of the actor supposedly uttering obscenities, which the women threatened to make public.
The matter is now under investigation with BH Entertainment, the actor’s agency, telling ENewsWorld in a statement how they reported the extortion to the police last Aug. 28.
“He (Lee) didn’t think it was right to let go of them so he reported the incident to the agency right away, which then reported it to the authorities.”
The suspects were arrested on Sept. 1.
“They admitted to making a threat and the police did not find any particular files after going through search and seizure process,” BH Entertainment divulged.
The agency then warned media, “Making imprudent reports on the case is considered cooperating with the perpetrators’ intention to invade his privacy…”
They added, “We politely ask that you stay away from reporting on unverified facts.”
Lee is married to actress Lee Min Jung.
He starred in a string of Korean and Hollywood movies including “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” in 2009 and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” in 2013.
He is part of the Hollywood film “Terminator: Genisys,” which will be released next year.
Kate Upton. (AFP)
LOS ANGELES | The FBI and Apple were urgently investigating Monday after an apparent massive hack of a cloud data service unleashed a torrent of intimate pictures of dozens of celebrities across the Internet.
Anonymous posters to online message boards boasted of having nude images of scores of female stars including Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence and top model Kate Upton.
Reports suggested hackers had “ripped” private images from Apple’s iCloud online data storage, a potentially embarrassing — and damaging — breach for the California tech giant.
“We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris, the Re/code website reported.
The FBI has also joined the hunt, other US reports said.
“The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter,” The Los Angeles Times quoted Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI in Los Angeles, as saying.
“Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time,” she added.
Some of the pictures had previously been circulated on message forums, and others appeared fake, but some major stars expressed outrage and threatened legal action.
“This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence,” Lawrence’s agent told entertainment media.
Upton’s lawyer, Lawrence Shore, told Us Magazine: “We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these images to the fullest extent possible.”
By late Sunday, Twitter had begun suspending accounts that linked to the Lawrence photos, tech news site Mashable reported.
Among the scores of celebrities whose pictures were allegedly stolen were singer Avril Lavigne, actress Hayden Panettiere and United States soccer star Hope Solo.
Former Nickelodeon star and singer Victoria Justice said the images claiming to show her nude were anything but the real deal.
“These so called nudes of me are FAKE people. Let me nip this in the bud right now. *pun intended*” she tweeted.
A spokesperson for actress and pop star Ariana Grande told BuzzFeed that images said to be of her are “completely fake.”
‘CREEPY EFFORT’
But horror movie actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead confirmed that some of her private pictures were in circulation and condemned those who stole them and who circulated them.
“To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves,” she tweeted.
“Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked.”
The scale of the breach became apparent on Sunday when users of the 4chan message board, a diverse online community that has been criticized in the past for misogyny, began sharing pictures.
Some more mainstream news and entertainment sites took up the story — and some linked to the images before taking them down amid legal threats and public outrage.
According to a report on news and gossip site Gawker, users of a AnonIB — an anonymous photo-sharing platform — have been boasting of a hack since last week.
Some users, hiding behind pseudonyms, made an apparent attempt to sell the pictures or to trade them with fellow hackers for others.
SECURITY HOLE?
Tech news site The Next Web reported what it said was evidence that hackers had found a weakness in Apple’s “Find my iPhone” service, an app that tracks lost or stolen handsets.
Apple has patched the alleged hole, the report said, but not before news of it spread in the hacker community, perhaps allowing unscrupulous strangers to access private online data.
But other reports suggested that the pictures could have been collated from multiple sources, perhaps not including iCloud at all, and may have been gathered over several years.
News site Deadspin said it had been contacted in early August by a source claiming he had been offered the pictures for sale.
The scale of the hack, and the targeting of women in the public eye, quickly revived the debate on social media about privacy concerns and about misogyny on the Internet.
The scandal also posed a public relations challenge to tech companies, who have been marketing online storage like iCloud, DropBox or GoogleDrive as a safe haven for users’ private data.
Several popular tech blogs marked the story by providing advice on storing private data safely, by using advanced encryption and two-step password identification or by keeping it offline.
Andi Eigenmann with her father Mark Gil. (Photo from Andi's Facebook page)
The children of the late actor Mark Gil, also known by his real name Ralph Eigenmann, who passed away Monday morning paid tribute to their father on several posts on Facebook and Twitter.
On her official Facebook page, actress Andi Eigenmann uploaded several photos of her happy moments with her father and siblings Gabby, Maxine, Stevie and Timmy Eigenmann a.k.a. Sid Lucero.
One photo of Andi and Mark was captioned, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, But Love leaves a memory no one can steal” while another photo of them was taken in 2011 during the time when Andi was still pregnant.
Screenshot of Andi Eigenmann's Facebook post.
In that photo, Andi describes Mark as the “ ever supportive dad who stood up with her daughter on one of the biggest trials of her life.”
Andi’s child, who turned out to be a daughter she named Ellie, also had a photo with her grandfather on her mother’s FB page.
On Twitter and Instagram, Andi as well as Mark’s son Gabby Eigenmann and daughter Maxine Eigenmann, who are also both in showbiz, tweeted messages of love for their father.
In her tweet, Andi repeated what his uncle Michael de Mesa said about her father in his television interviews, “As long as Filipino films are being watched and appreciated, there will always be a Mark Gil.”
Gabby’s Instagram message in full reads: “…And so you held my hand in yours, just like you did when I was young . But then you held it to your heart just as you slowly slipped away. Today I said goodbye to you Dad. I said the last I love you that you would hear. Fly free with the Lord, fly free without pain. No worries, no problems, just love. Thank you for everything you have done for me and the family. Thank you for the legacy you have left behind. You will be forever in our hearts, till we meet again…”
One of Maxine’s messages shows her new tattoo which she got only three days before her dad passed away as per this suggestion of her sister, Stevie, “My little sister, @stevieeigz came up with the unique idea of getting a tattoo of the sound waves of dad’s voice saying “I love you”. Got this last Friday. I LOVE YOU TOO DADDY FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER. @ralpheigenmann”
Another Instagram post was a poster for a screening of Mike de Leon’s “Batch ‘81” last Monday night at Route 196 in Katipunan, Quezon City. In the film, Mark Gil plays the iconic role of fraternity neophyte Sid Lucero.
In honor of his father, son Timmy Eigenmann later adopted the stage name of Sid Lucero which he has since been known as in his movies, including his latest, “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan”, scheduled to open in theaters this September 10.
Lucero has not posted anything on his social media pages since his father passed away last Monday after a two-year battle with liver cancer. As recently as last month, he denied to media that his father had cancer out of respect for the latter’s wish to keep his illness a secret.
Jennifer Lawrence. (Reuters)
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has contacted authorities to investigate who stole and posted nude images of her online, a spokeswoman said on Monday, part of a reported mass hacking of celebrities’ intimate photos.
Online pictures of the actress, 24, who won an Academy Award for “Silver Linings Playbook” and stars in “The Hunger Games” movie franchise, began appearing on Sunday. The source of the hack was unclear.
Images purporting to be of dozens of other female actresses, models and athletes were also posted. The authenticity of many could not be confirmed.
“This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence,” spokeswoman Liz Mahoney said in an emailed statement. She did not say who was contacted.
A spokesman for the FBI said the agency “is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter.”
Model Kate Upton was among celebrities whose photos were posted online. Her lawyer, Lawrence Shire, called them “an outrageous violation” of her privacy.
“We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible,” he said in a statement.
The photos were posted on the image-sharing forum 4chan. Britain’s Mirror website quoted the anonymous uploader as saying on the site he or she was a collector, not the hacker.
The uploader said the photos had generated $120 in bitcoin, a digital currency, but added: “I really didn’t get close to what I was hoping.”
NBC News said Apple Co (AAPL.O) iCloud accounts had apparently been hacked to get the photos. Apple spokeswoman Nat Kerris said in an email: “We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report.”
Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead said on Twitter that nude photos of her were also posted online. She said the photos had long been deleted.
“I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked,” said Winstead, who starred in “Smashed” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
Jennifer Lawrence (Reuters/Eric Thayer)
(Reuters) – Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has contacted authorities to investigate who stole and posted nude images of her online, a spokeswoman said on Monday, part of a reported mass hacking of celebrities’ intimate photos.
Online pictures of the actress, 24, who won an Academy Award for “Silver Linings Playbook” and stars in “The Hunger Games” movie franchise, began appearing on Sunday. The source of the hack was unclear.
Images purporting to be of dozens of other female actresses, models and athletes were also posted. The authenticity of many could not be confirmed.
“This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence,” spokeswoman Liz Mahoney said in an emailed statement. She did not say who was contacted.
Model Kate Upton was among celebrities whose photos were posted online. Her lawyer, Lawrence Shire, called them “an outrageous violation” of her privacy.
“We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible,” he said in a statement.
The photos were posted on the image-sharing forum 4chan. Britain’s Mirror website quoted the anonymous uploader as saying on the site he or she was a collector, not the hacker.
The uploader said the photos had generated $120 in bitcoin, a digital currency, but added: “I really didn’t get close to what I was hoping.”
NBC News said Apple Co (AAPL.O) iCloud accounts had apparently been hacked to get the photos. Apple spokeswoman Nat Kerris said in an email: “We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report.”
A spokesman for the FBI was not immediately available to comment.
Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead said on Twitter that nude photos of her were also posted online. She said the photos had long been deleted.
“I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked,” said Winstead, who starred in “Smashed” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Additional reporting by Christina Farr and Hilary Russ; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Carrie Underwood (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Country star Carrie Underwood and National Hockey League player Mike Fisher chose the Labor Day holiday to announce they are expecting their first child.
Underwood and Fisher posted the announcement on their social media accounts on Monday. Underwood’s publicist confirmed the couple will be expecting their first child in the spring.
Underwood, 31, shot to fame after winning “American Idol.” She has won six Grammys and sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. She was the first woman to twice win the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year award.
She will be co-hosting the upcoming Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley this November.
Fisher, 34, a center for the Nashville Predators, is recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the start of the season.
Jennifer Lawrence (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The FBI said Monday it was addressing allegations that online accounts of several celebrities, including Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, had been hacked, leading to the posting of their nude photographs online.
The agency did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos of Lawrence and other stars. Apple said Monday it was looking into whether its online photo-sharing service had been hacked to obtain the intimate images.
Lawrence, a three-time Oscar nominee who won for her role in “Silver Linings Playbook,” contacted authorities after the images began appearing Sunday.
Naked images purporting to be of other female stars were also posted, although the authenticity of many couldn’t be confirmed. The source of the leak was unclear.
“This is a flagrant violation of privacy,” Lawrence’s publicist Liz Mahoney wrote in a statement. “The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.”
The FBI said it was “aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter.”
“Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time,” spokeswoman Laura Eimiller wrote in a statement.
Apple Inc. spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company was investigating whether any iCloud accounts had been tampered with, but she did not give any further details.
“We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” she said.
Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead also confirmed that nude photos of her were posted online.
“To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves,” Winstead posted on Twitter. Winstead, who starred in “Final Destination 3″ and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” wrote that she thought the images had been destroyed.
“Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this,” Winstead wrote.
The FBI has investigated previous leaks of nude celebrity images, including leaks involving Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and footage of television sports reporter Erin Andrews in a Tennessee hotel room. Those cases resulted in convictions.
How widespread the hacking of celebrities photos was is not immediately clear. Some of the images were quickly denounced as fakes.
Some cybersecurity experts speculated that hackers may have obtained a cache of private celebrity images by exploiting weaknesses in an online image-storing platform.
“It is important for celebrities and the general public to remember that images and data no longer just reside on the device that captured it,” security researcher Ken Westin wrote in a blog post Monday. “Once images and other data are uploaded to the cloud, it becomes much more difficult to control who has access to it, even if we think it is private.”
Private information and images of celebrities are frequent targets for hackers. Last year, a site posted credit reports, Social Security numbers and other financial info on celebrities, including Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher and many others.
Johansson, Kunis and Aguilera were hacked by a Florida man, Christopher Chaney, who used publicly available information to hack into the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry.
“I have been truly humiliated and embarrassed,” Johansson said in a tearful videotaped statement played in court at Chaney’s sentencing in December 2012.
“That feeling of security can never be given back and there is no compensation that can restore the feeling one has from such a large invasion of privacy,” Aguilera wrote in a statement before Chaney’s sentencing.
Todd English (AP Photo/Southampton Town Police Department)
SOUTHAMPTON, New York (AP) — Celebrity chef Todd English, who has opened restaurants around the U.S. and written multiple cookbooks, was arrested Sunday on a charge of driving while intoxicated, authorities said.
Police said English was arrested Sunday morning on a county road in Southampton on suburban Long Island. He made a court appearance later in the day, and authorities said he posted $1,500 bail.
The circumstances of the arrest were unavailable.
English’s lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., said they “adamantly deny the allegations” and “look forward to addressing this matter in a court of law.”
The chef, whose full name is William Todd English, is the creative force behind a number of restaurants around the U.S., including Olives, Figs and Fish Club. He also has been a regular on television programs including “Iron Chef USA.”
English has written several cookbooks and has been honored by the James Beard Foundation for excellence and achievement in cuisine.
In September 2009, his former fiancee was charged with assault, and authorities accused her of hitting him with a metal wrist watch, leaving him needing multiple stitches. The couple had been scheduled to get married, but English called the wedding off.
A judge in January 2010 closed the case without prison or probation based on her going through anger management and performing community service.
